Momentum on the mind

a day late, but hopefully not a dollar too short!

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to keep momentum over these past few weeks and how that can change in look and feel as you build something. This something could be a business, a hobby, a project, or even a new habit. The opposite of momentum is becoming stagnant and it’s a place I try to avoid at all costs. Especially when it comes to Hej Hej in this market, where competition is fierce, people move quickly, and social media seems to make you feel behind before you’ve even started. At the same time, the idea of maintaining momentum can be looming and get a bit overwhelming.

To nerd out for two seconds, the exact definition of momentum (p) = mass (m) x velocity (v). So, the bigger or faster something is, the faster its momentum will be. I actually loved physics in college, a lot of these theories are so simple and explain so much. Hats off to my physics tutor for quite literally doing my homework every week though - I had to draw the line somewhere!

Anyway, with Hej Hej, I used to think keeping momentum meant booking as many pop ups as I could, barely considering my own burn out or long term goals. I’ve always wanted to do pop ups, teach classes, private chef, create content, and more. That meant that as these things started to grow, the thought of not booking pop ups was translating to becoming stagnant. PS I think pop ups on their own can 100% be the business model, it just depends on what your long term plan is and what your physical limitations are!

I realize now that there’s a natural progression in momentum as you build that will take you away from where you first started, and this can feel uneasy. You also require less energy to complete a task after you’ve done it over and over again. Your mind can play tricks on you, asking “Am I doing enough? This doesn’t feel as hard as it used to…”.

It takes a little reassurance to realize that maybe slowing down on one aspect of something will allow you to add more weight to another, or vice versa. Or, maybe you’re keeping momentum but it requires less energy, so now you can add something on top. Collectively, as long as you’re actively managing your momentum “bucket”, I think you’re on the right path. Basically I’m trying to tell myself I’m on the right path, haha. Thanks for coming to my stream of consciousness Substack, it’s fun here! Jokes aside, maybe you can relate?

Now for a quick “the good, the bad and the ugly” for the week and we’ll wrap this up!

The Good

aka the GREAT - I had another amazing collaboration pop up with my friends at Lotties Meats in Denver, CO (my hometown) and it left me feeling so grateful. We had so many friends and supporters come through, it was a gorgeous sunny winter day, and we sold out. Cass / Chels, if you’re reading this, you’re the coolest cats in town, so talented, and I think you should run for presidents of hot dog land!

The Bad

Quickbooks who? I don’t know her.

The Ugly

For everything I book (a pop up, private cheffing, an event) something gets cancelled or rescheduled. I am fairly new to this world, so maybe this is just how it is? It’s not easy to navigate and I also want to make sure this is happening because it’s out of my control and not something I’m contributing to. I also think it’s another sign that my current model isn’t working and it’s an opportunity to grow and streamline. I’m trying to go glass half full here, but it’s like, an ugly glass 😉.

Thanks for reading as always,

🍓 Amelia